


Carry On

by mirandamyth



Series: Insurance 'verse [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, Alternate Universe - Human, Gen, friendship fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-30
Updated: 2012-06-30
Packaged: 2017-11-08 22:03:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/448026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirandamyth/pseuds/mirandamyth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have no claim to any of the characters in this story. I also have never been to Kansas.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Carry On

**Author's Note:**

> I have no claim to any of the characters in this story. I also have never been to Kansas.

Middle school was different. Jo and Ash were still at Lawrence Elementary with Sammy, and Dean didn't have many classes with Chuck and Cas. He learned quickly that if he was sitting in the back, his social studies teacher didn't notice if he was asleep, and his math class was engineered for idiots.They had to wear stupid little red shorts for Phys. Ed. and the music teacher made them sing, but at least he had his electives with Cas.

In English, he sat next to a gawky, gangly kid named Garth who was actually pretty funny, but took a while to get used to. English was his lunch period, and he and Garth had managed to score a table in the corner, as far away from the eighth graders as possible. It also gave them a perfect view of everyone coming out of the lunch line. Chuck comes out holding a tray and Dean waves him over.

 

Chuck has ink on his cheek and is arguing good-naturedly with a small blonde girl."This is Becky." He says, by way of explanation.

 

"S'Garth. M'Dean" Dean says around a mouth full of cafeteria taco, and Becky looks appropriately disgusted.

 

 Chuck and Becky sit down a safe distance from Dean and resume their arguement. It sounds to Dean like they're arguing about whatever Chuck is always scribbling in the notebook he carries. He ignores them and keeps lookout for Cas. By time Cas actually gets there, Dean's through with his taco and Becky has decided that he's not completely disgusting. They're in the middle of a debate about the merits of General Hospital versus Doctor Sexy when Cas sits next to Dean with a laugh.

 

"See, Becky, I knew you'd have something in common with our friends." Cas smiles at her, "Dean's always wanted someone to talk about daytime television with."

 

Becky giggles, Dean punches Cas halfheartedly and goes to throw away his tray.

 

+++++

 

Part way through Dean's sixth grade year, his dad took a job driving long haul and signed his parental rights over to Bobby. Dean and Sam moved the rest of their things into the couple rooms they used whenever John worked third shift during winter break and that was that. John would blow back into town once or twice a month and crash on Bobby's couch for a few days and take his boys to baseball games or out for burgers.

 

“It's just so goddamn unfair, Cas.” Dean complained. It was the week of limbo between Christmas and New Year's, and Dean and Cas were spending it holed up inside – Cas doing his “smart kid math” extra credit while Dean lounged next to him, idly tossing and catching a baseball. “I mean, I knew that he couldn't stand being in Lawrence, but dumping us with Bobby? Who does that to his kids?”

 

“Dean, you can't complain about him when he's here and get pissed at him for leaving. You've told me on more than one occasion that you wished Bobby could just be your dad.” Cas reasoned, not even glancing away from his textbook.

 

“I know, but, man, I never really meant it. He was never around. Like, remember at the end of last year, when we had that stupid promotion ceremony and he didn't even show? Jo said that he was at the Roadhouse when she got off school.” Dean sat up, “I mean, it was dumb, but I wanted him to be there. And the whole time Bobby was there, standing in the back with Ellen.”

 

Cas finally put his homework aside and fixed Dean with the same look he had when they'd met. A long moment passed and Dean just returned his stare, not daring to break eye contact first. It wasn't until Cas spoke, voice cracking halfway through Dean's name that either of them blinked. Dean let out a laugh and Cas punched him in the shoulder halfheartedly, and looked as though he was going to continue his sentence when Sam hollered something about a snowball fight though the door. Dean grinned and hopped off the bed – the best part about the salvage yard was its potential for strategic snowball wars. Cas had learned quickly that these fights were life and death for the Winchester boys (they attacked each other viciously for the best base camps – usually an old junker with busted windows – there was room to throw through the door frame, and bulk enough to take cover behind) and weren't over until both people forfeited from exhaustion or dark fell. Today's was no different. By time they trudged inside for microwaved Ovaltine and hot showers, Cas had had no less the seven handfuls of snow shoved down the back of his parka, Sam's hair was sticking to his forehead, and Dean was drenched from the tag team assault Sam and Cas had launched in a desperate bid for victory. Bobby took one look at the group of them and told them to leave as much of their wet clothes in the kitchen as possible, before disappearing into his office with a mug of coffee. They could hear his adding machine whirring to life as they sat at the table letting the warmth from their mugs thaw frozen hands.

 

 

+++++

 

For New Year's Eve, Bobby and Ellen drove four hours to get fireworks to set off at midnight with Jo, Ash, Sam, Cas, Anna, and Dean.

 

Cas was nervous about the fireworks, but when Dean coaxed him to light one, his face breaks into the widest grin Dean's ever seen. Being there, lighting off fireworks in the scrapyard with his surrogate family, Dean could almost forget the hollow part of himself that misses his father fiercely.


End file.
